It could've been much worse, but thanks to the "Tiger Woods of pilots", Charles "Sully" Sullenberger III , all 155 passengers of US AIR 1549 that he remarkably landed onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, were safely rescued.
Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III He had the calmness that translated into the passengers' equally orderly exit and rescue. "Brace for impact" and a split-second decision to glide on the icy Hudson River on a blustery lower teens temperatures. He deserves a medal for a true hero. He got the job done and masterfully.
Earlier this morning I walked the snow-covered grounds and stole some shots of these small birds which were "hanging in there" for a few weeks more until the warm weather sets in. It was 11 degrees and snow was still falling. These birds weren't as large as the geese that were responsible for downing the aircraft later in the day but imagine what such an encounter between man and nature can lead to.
Go, Sully go and thanks to the efforts of the able-bodied New Yorkers: the dock workers, commuter ferries, a well-organized disaster plan and the response team and all the neighboring hospitals and workers that helped. A good outcome - as always New Yorkers were there to lend a helping hand.
"It's not the way people normally arrive (*or leave) in New York City," said Mayor Bloomberg, "but as long as they all got out safely, everything else is secondary".
